Last updated: September 25, 2026
Our commitment
First Mate builds websites for fishing charters and guides. We want every captain to be able to run their site, and every angler to be able to find and book a trip, whatever their ability or the device they use.
What this covers
This statement covers First Mate's own website (firstmatesite.com), sign-up, and the captain dashboard. Each charter website we host has its own accessibility statement, linked in its footer, which also covers the captain's boat and trips.
Our standard
We work to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AA. In practice that means:
- Text with strong color contrast, and pages that stay usable when zoomed to 200%.
- Everything reachable and usable with a keyboard, with a visible focus outline.
- Clear headings and page structure that screen readers can follow.
- Descriptive alternative text on our own images and screenshots.
- Forms with visible labels and error messages in plain words.
- Layouts that work on phones, tablets, and computers.
Charter websites built on First Mate use the same structure, and the dashboard asks captains to describe their photos so their sites stay accessible too.
Known limitations
- Content added by captains. Photos, text, and custom pages on charter websites are written by each captain. We give them the tools, but we cannot check every photo description.
- Third-party booking and media. Booking widgets from FareHarbor, FishingBooker, and other services, plus embedded videos and maps, are run by those companies and follow their own accessibility practices.
- Ongoing work. We have not yet had a formal outside audit. We test with keyboards and browser zoom, fix problems as we find them, and review this statement as the product changes.
Tell us about a problem
If anything on First Mate is hard to use, email support@firstmatesite.com with the page and what went wrong. We aim to reply within two business days, and we will help you directly in the meantime: we can set up a site, make changes, or take a trip request for a captain by email.
Contact
support@firstmatesite.com